Little Robin Red, Or the Bird Lost in Time
by Triscribe
Summary: After a battle with Zoom leaves the Flash family with an unexpected guest in a familiar costume, they call in a couple of Bats to help identify him. First sign that the kid is more than he seems: He gets past the Batplane's security systems in seconds and flies it away... Things only get crazier from there. The first of my Futureverse tales, introducing a red haired Robin.
1. Prologue

"Don't let him goad you, Impulse!" Flash hollered at his youngest family member as she grew red-faced from Zoom's taunts.

"What's the matter, Barry?" The yellow-clad speedster hissed with a malicious smile. "Afraid this little runt might actually work up the nerve to throw a punch at me?" Seeing the anger clouding the eyes of his grand-niece, Flash grabbed the kid and hauled her behind a stack of steel pipes for a second to cool off.

"Look, you need to just tune out his insults-"

"Uncle B, I know! I'm letting him mess with me to distract him from Bart!"

"Oh." Another explosion sounded back from the direction of the fight, and the two hurried back around to see Kid Flash tackling Zoom.

"Guys! A little help here!" The teen yelled, struggling to hold onto the irate villain. Nearly ten minutes the three Flashes had been trying to subdue their old foe within the construction yard, with limited success and tiring patience.

Impulse got ahead of her great-uncle and socked Zoom across the jaw. "Ha! How's that for a runt, huh?"

The villain spat out a bit of blood and glared at her. "You'll regret this, one day, brat." He whispered with a weird glint. "When you're gone and forgotten me, I'll haul away what you hold most dear, to a place you'll never reach."

"Dunno what you're blathering on about now, Thawne, but bear in mind - my cousin isn't so easily intimidated." Bart said with a grin. Irey smiled back as Barry started to help secure the downed baddie. Before he could, though, Zoom started vibrating in place. Flash tried to match his speed, and realized a fraction of a second too late it was a poor choice.

As the combination of Positive and Negative Speed Force met in the air around the two men, they reacted badly - causing an explosion that scattered all four speedsters with various bits of construction supplies.

"_Remember, brat!"_ Zoom's voice was the last thing Irey heard before drifting off into darkness.

-LRR-

"Imp... Impulse... Irey!" Her eyes snapped open, and Impulse nearly sat up so fast she crashed into her father's concerned form.

"Whoa, easy there, girl." He chuckled, catching her around the shoulders. "You hit your head pretty hard there."

"Oww." Irey muttered, rubbing the bump on the back of her head. It wasn't very large, but she didn't doubt that speed healing had decreased the thing in size. "How long...?"

"We just showed up about thirty seconds ago. I don't think you guys have been out for longer than two minutes." Her dad promised, shifting enough for Irey to see Jay Garrick helping up her grand-uncle, Bart already sitting upright and frowning, while Jesse Quick stood in the spot Zoom had been frowning at something on the ground.

"Hey guys?" The young woman called out. "Did Zoom say anything before you chased him off?"

"We didn't, the guy escaped when we had him pinned." Bart grumbled. "But yeah, he was saying something about getting revenge on Irey before he rigged that explosion."

"Oh. So, nothing to explain this little guy, huh?" That got all of them to come over to see what she meant.

Sure enough, there was a dark blue piece of some shiny material wrapped around a small form curled on the ground, a bit smaller than Irey. Peeking out from the top of it was a mop of tufts of red hair, held back from a pale forehead by dark grey goggles. Underneath that was a black mask around closed eyes.

"Huh." Barry muttered, reaching down to gently take hold of the little one's shoulder. "Hey, you alive in there, kid?"

An indistinct mumble, sounding something like _lemme lone, Rishrd _made its way out, but aside from that and a twitch, the figure didn't respond.

"Better check for injuries." Jay suggested. Nodding, Barry rolled the kid onto his back, untangling some of the fabric, which turned out to be a long cape that went from his neck and shoulders down to the kid's knees. Once it was out of the way, all of the speedsters were able to fully see the costume beneath.

Dark grey gauntlets with blue markings and attachments ended in two-inch claws. A silver utility belt wrapped around his thin waist, securing pants the same shade of blue as the cape and a rusty red tunic. Green sleeves so dark they looked black matched the high top boots, and last but not least the yellow R within a circle over the left side of the kid's chest.

That alone was enough to keep all six talkative speedsters from saying a word.


	2. Chapter 1

When he opened his eyes, Alf was instantly worried. There was roof over him, he could see, and a gentle fuzz tucked up under his chin along with a warmth over his body indicated he was wrapped in a blanket.

Unfortunately, the material overhead wasn't the rough stone or bright blue plaster that would indicate he was home, and the cloth he could feel definitely wasn't one he was used to.

_Positive thinking, Alf,_ He could hear his mother's voice saying. _You clearly aren't in some villain's warehouse, tied up with chains._

_But that doesn't mean he isn't the prisoner of some madwoman who's going to pretend he's her child, and lock him up somewhere less pleasant if he doesn't cooperate. _That would be his dad's voice now. Sometimes Alf really hated having such opposite pessimist/optimist parents.

Venting a sigh through his nose, the boy started to shift his head to study the rest of the room he was in. And found himself almost nose to nose with another person.

"Hi!" The girl giggled as his eyes widened in shock. She backed up a little, allowing Alf to see the... superhero costume... Specifically, the old Impulse design.

_Red hair, green eyes, Impulse... Crap._ Those thoughts were all his own as Alf realized what had happened. _I hope momma kills Zoom for this._ And if she didn't, everyone on his father's side of the family certainly would.

"So... You're awake now." Wrenching his attention back to the girl, Alf gulped as her eyes narrowed. "You got a name, kid?"

He opened his mouth to respond - and immediately shut it again.

"Hey, it's okay. Look, my name's Impulse, but you can call me Irey." She smiled at him again. "Now can you tell me yours?" He shook his head, and the girl sighed.

"Looks like our guest is awake." A new voice said, and Alf paled further as a grown man with the same red hair entered his line of sight.

"Yeah, but he won't talk and tell me his name." The girl crossed her arms and glared at him. Alf shrank back a little as the man frowned and reached towards him. Seeing this, he paused and held the hand up, palm out.

"I'm not going to hurt you." The man said softly, though that wasn't what Alf worried about. Cautiously, the man started reaching forward again, and gently brushed his fingers through Alf's hair. The boy could feel the slight tingles of Speed Force energy through the contact, and wondered what the man was feeling from him. A soft _hm_ was all he heard, though.

"Irey, go get your grand aunt for me, will ya?"

"Sure, Dad!" A fwoosh of red, and she was gone. The movement was enough to get Alf to look away from the man now kneeling before him and look around the room.

It looked like a regular house, with plain but comfortable furniture and plenty of pictures hung up on the walls. There was a set of stairs off to the left, a closet beside them, and a hallway on the opposite corner. Considering that Irey had run around behind the sofa he was laying on, Alf figured there were more doorways that he couldn't see.

"You've come a long way, haven't you?" The man muttered, causing Alf's eyes to snap back towards him. "I wonder if you know." Biting his lip, it was all Alf could do to avoid blabbering everything that was filling up his mind.

Then Irey was back, moving slow enough to hang onto the hand of a grey-haired woman with the same warm green eyes as the others.

"What is it, Wally?" She asked as the man stood up again.

"Can you take a look at him and tell me what you think? I don't want to bias your opinion just yet."

Nodding, the older woman came and took a seat beside him. Alf stared up at her in open shock. He'd seen the old photos of course, but it was mind-boggling to actually be meeting this woman in the flesh.

"Hello, sweetheart," She spoke softly, also stroking back a tuft of his hair. "My name's Iris Allen. What's yours?" After a beat of his silence, Irey spoke up.

"He won't say. Do you think he can?"

"Probably just wants to keep quiet until he knows more about the situation." The man, Wally, muttered. Sighing, Alf sat up and pushed the blanket off of him, revealing his uniform once more. Iris tried to stop him from swinging his legs off of the sofa, but Alf merely shot her a small glare, and the woman stopped. He missed the startled glance exchanged between her and Wally as he stood.

Walking over towards the nearest window, Alf stood on tip toe to peer outside, and his frown deepened at the sunset-lit sight.

He recognized Central City, but this skyline was slightly different than what he new. It was missing several buildings, and some of the ones here didn't have the additions he knew were supposed to be there. The adults behind him were murmuring to each other as Irey moved forward to join him at the window.

"Y'know... My grand uncle Barry, he's the Flash, he wanted to call somebody who might know more about you than we do. If you just talk to us, we won't have to, which would be good 'cause he can be kinda scary to people who meet him." Alf just stared at her. "Batman, I mean. Since, well, a friend of mine is supposed to be wearing that." She pointed to the R on his chest, which Alf self-consciously covered with his gauntleted hand.

"So, can you tell me anything?" Irey asked hopefully. Alf bit his lip again, and shook his head. She sighed, a noise mimicked by the two adults behind them, who'd fallen silent.

"Well, it's almost dinner time. You hungry?" This time, Alf nodded vigorously. His older brother always teased that he should've been the one to be born a speedster, because he ate almost as much as one.


	3. Chapter 2

"Okay, kid, we've been getting some strange readings off of you, but I need to use a friend of mine's equipment to get a better idea of what the heck's going on." Barry, in his Flash suit, explained as he ran towards the edge of the city with Alf in his arms, Irey just a few steps behind him. "And before he let's us come into his home, I've got to explain what's going on, and let him have a look at you. Nothing to worry about!" But Alf just ducked his head even lower, unable to say just how bad of an idea this was. He may not have been making any progress with the speedsters, but at least keeping his mouth shut was enough to prevent any serious accidents. With the Bats, though... They were the world's best detectives, and could figure out a lot even if he didn't say a word.

Arriving at the darkened field, the stars overhead blocked out by low, grey clouds, the three of them settled in to wait for a bit.

Not much longer after that, a deep whine started up, and only grew louder as a black shadow descended from the cloud cover. Like the herald of doom, the Batplane hovered for a moment before settling on the bowed-over grass. Irey stepped forward, grinning, and rested an elbow on Alf's shoulder. The poor kid was so distracted he didn't even notice, mesmerized by the sleek black jet, the cockpit began to open.

Two figures dropped to the ground, and his fascination was quickly subverted by the anxiety.

"Hi, Damian!" Irey chirruped from beside him, the first that Alf realized her close proximity as he winced a little from the volume of the greeting.

"West." The boy approaching them replied with barely-concealed distaste. "Who is this? Some poor peasant you've dragged into-" His words cut off as the boy's eyes widened from close inspection of Alf's uniform.

"This would the anomaly you mentioned, Flash?" A deep, gravelly voice asked, and it took a few seconds for Alf to remind himself that, no, it wasn't his dad- technically, it wasn't even his grandfather, either.

"Yeah. It's going to take a while to explain..." Barry drew Batman off to one side so he could share his private thoughts and Wally's theory along with the events of the day. Irey launched into her own description for Damian - Robin - while Alf nervously shuffled away a few steps. The dark haired boy had begun glaring at him, and while it was nowhere near the level of the gaze that could, and would, make Alf instantly apologize, the look was still disconcerting. Fortunately, as Irey's chatter continued, Damian's attention was drawn back to her. Alf took a few more cautious steps. Batman's gaze flickered over to him for the briefest of moments, but then returned to Flash's muttered words. A little further, and Alf was standing beside the Batplane.

It wasn't quite as advanced to the one he was used to, and not as highly equipped, but still highly impressive for this time period. Thinking about the differences, though, had Alf longing for some familiarity. He suddenly felt the need to see home for himself.

"Hey- where'd Alf go?" Irey broke off what she had been saying, and both Flash and Batman's heads snapped around at her words.

Then the jet's engines started.

Damian swore, leaping forward and plucking from his belt a remote fob to shut down the airborne vehicle. He tapped out the code (repeatedly) but to no avail. The Batplane continued to turn and rise into the air. Batman swiftly pulled out his grappling line, firing it at the underbelly of the jet.

Polarity shields crackled to life and blocked the incoming projectile, just before the Batplane soared away into the clouds. Shocked, Flash turned to stare at his fellow Leaguer, who returned the look with his famous glare.

"I don't know how he got into the plane and started it without our noticing," The Dark Knight ground out between clenched teeth. "Or how he managed to activate the specialized security measures, but your _guest_ has some serious explaining to so when we catch up to him."

"He hasn't deactivated the tracking beacon yet!" Damian called out, fiddling with the device in his hand. A moment later, though, the boy's face fell. "Nevermind. But, it looked like he was headed for Gotham."

"We can help you beat him there!" Irey said excitedly.

"How?" Then, horrified understanding spread across Damian's face. "Oh, no way in h-"

"Language," The extra glare his father sent him also told Damian: _it's not going to be fun for either of us, so __deal_ _with it._ Reluctantly, the ten year old allowed Irey to grasp one of his arms, pulling it over her shoulder even as her opposite hand wrapped around his waist.

"Ready, tough guy?" She took off without waiting for his answer, Flash carrying Batman in a similar fashion just a step behind them.

_Didn't I promise the plane would be stolen at some point? Muahaha. As of next chapter, details start leaking out, and things get __**really**__ interesting. _

_-Triscribe_


	4. Chapter 3

This was wrong. Well, the feel of it was right, and familiar, but everything else was different. As much as Alf desperately wanted to see Gotham, this was a mistake, because this city _wasn't his home._

After setting the plane to hover over what should have been an empty apartment building that his Uncles used as a secret safe-house, Alf nearly swung in on a disheveled couple having dinner by the ancient television. Startled from that, he physically crossed the buildings and streets to the warehouse that Bird's Eye used as his base of operations, only to find it boarded up and falling apart. Worried that every place would be like that, he next ran to his friend Danny's house, and found it to at least be semi-normal: kids were still running around the old children's home, but there were several nuns watching over them instead of the auburn-haired adult couple Alf knew and loved. When his eyes landed on a boy with the right shade of hair grinning and showing a few smaller ones how to throw a punch, the kid bit his lip and retreated into the dark alleyways.

Finding a secluded fire escape, Alf settled into a ball with his cape wrapped around him, and proceeded to stifle his sobs as tears rolled down his face.

He didn't want to damage the timeline. He wanted to go home. He didn't want to accidentally reveal something that changed the course of history, and meant he went back to a Gotham that was even less like home than this place. Alf's father had once been sucked into a parallel dimension; the Batman of that world was all alone, only having a cat with Alf's name for company in a horrible city. No Momma. No kids. No Aunts or Uncles, blood- or legal-related, who still spoke to or worked with the man.

Alf didn't want to write his family out of existence.

Burrowing his head in his arms, the kid shuddered with the combined emotional fear and pain that came from his situation. Even so, he wasn't so distracted as to not notice the light footsteps approaching from the roof above him.

In one smooth motion, Alf somersaulted forward, coming up in a crouch with a batarang in his hand, ready to throw. The woman on the rusty stairs just above his position held up her hands in a gesture of peace.

"Hey there, short stuff. Heard you stole a plane." Catwoman grinned. Alf blinked at her. And then took off over the edge of the fire escape. "Oh, great."

Leaping off and to the ground below as well, the semi-hero sprinted after the dark-clothed figure as he sprinted down the alley. Alf took a brief moment to glance behind him, unsure of how fast this Cat would able to move.

A clawed hand nearly catching hold of his cape was his answer. Swerving, Alf made it around the corner and bought enough spare seconds to pull out and fire his grappling line. He hung on for dear life as the device pulled him to the top of the nearest three story building, skidded on the landing, and resumed running.

The kid was almost to the far end and about to leap for the next roof over when a dark streak lept out from the shadows and tripped him up. Landing with an audible _oomph_, Alf blinked at the green eyed cat now crouched in front of him. It was sizing him up, he could tell.

When Catwoman reached them a few moments later, the boy hadn't moved, gaze still locked with that of Isis. Arching an eyebrow, the adult crouched down beside them, noting that while the kid inched away from her just slightly, his eyes never left the cat.

"... Are you gonna drag me to the Cave?"

She blinked. From what Batman had passed on from Flash, this little mystery kid hadn't spoken to the speedsters at all, and here he'd just asked her a question. The voice was tiny, making the boy seem even younger than his size would indicate, and whispered in a tone that made it sound like she'd be dragging him to a fate worse than death.

"Nah." She finally answered. "I think you and I should have a talk first."

Alf glanced up at Catwoman now, frowning. He didn't want to speak more than he had to. Not when every word could put his family at risk. Already, he could feel the need to start spilling everything that had happened in the past day, but he couldn't. Not to this woman, not with Holly and everyone else's existence at risk.

"Come one, kid. If nothing else, you should get a hot drink in you on a chilly night like this." Reaching out a hand, Catwoman waited for the kid's response. If he went without a struggle, she'd bring him to her apartment. Should he try to run again, though, her other hand was curled around a locater beacon, ready to be thrown and activated once it attached to a piece of clothing.

Staring into the cat's eyes again, Alf mulled over his options. Go with his- this woman, risk ruining everything, but potentially find a way to get home. Or, resign himself to a fate of remaining here, forever holding his mouth shut in an attempt to prevent causing temporal paradoxes.

He sighed, and grudgingly grasped the hand extended to him.


	5. Chapter 4

There were more cats than he was expecting. They lay across the floor, the furniture; two had even decided that Alf himself would make a suitable resting place. A grey and brown tortoise shell named Torem perched upon his left shoulder, while the sleek black cat that had tripped him on the rooftop, Isis, was sprawled across Alf's lap while he stroked her fur.

"I'm impressed," Catwoman called from the kitchen, visible through the doorway across from him. "It usually takes a lot more for those two to warm up to someone." Alf just smiled, tickling the same sensitive spot on the underside of the jaw that this cat would pass on to her own descendants someday. Isis rumbled in pleasure, her limbs turning to practical jelly.

"You want the little marshmallows in your hot chocolate?"

"Yes, please." She shook her head, either annoyed or amused by his sporadic responses. Maybe it was both. "Thank you, G- Catwoman."

"Call me Selina," The woman said firmly, throwing the empty packets in the trash.

"Selina." He whispered, staring down at the limp cat purring contentedly in his lap.

"Now, I know you've clearly got some secrets you don't want to spill, but it can't hurt you to tell me at least a little about yourself." She coaxed, bringing over two mugs. Alf sat up a bit straighter to accept his beverage, looking at her warily. Personal details were among the most dangerous he could tell. "I promise, I won't pass it on."

"Maybe..." He said softly, gaze dropping to the mug in hand.

"How about this, then - I ask a question or two, and you decide whether to answer or not." After a few minutes of deliberation, the boy nodded once. "Okay. First off... You're clearly a Bat, if that uniform is anything to go by, let alone the moves I saw you bust out earlier. And at least a couple of the speedsters think you're either a time traveler or guest from another reality."

Alf's head jerked up at that first option, which the woman took note of. He gnawed on his lower lip before nodding once, violently jerking his head down and up.

"Hm. You _are _aware of that then." Sipping at her hot chocolate, Selina's eyes never left him. "I'm going to guess, since I know some people who know some people who've done the crossing-time thing, you're less concerned with messing things up for yourself than for others in the future."

"Don't want them to disappear." Alf muttered into his mug.

"Who?"

"... My family." He took a deep gulp to stop from saying anything else, but then coughed from the hot liquid burning its way down his throat. Selina waited until the kid had recovered before continuing.

"Little one, are you a Bat because you were taken into the group, or born to it?" Alf's eyes widened, and he gulped again, in nervousness this time.

Eventually, he answered in a quiet voice. "Born." Selina nodded, mentally comparing the kid to the other birds she knew. She supposed he looked a bit like Damian, in the jawline and eye color, but the wild red hair just threw everything else off.

"Alright then. I'm not going to call you Robin, that would be a little too weird even for me, but I still need something to address you with. Okay?"

"Okay... I'm," He took a deep breath. "Alf." Immediately, the boy sunk in on himself, peering at her in worry. Selina raised an eyebrow, wondering what he had to be scared off.

Then the significance of the short name leaped out at her.

"Alf- That wouldn't happen to be short for Alfred, would it?"

He glanced back down, unable to hold it in anymore. "Alfred Wallace Wayne. Momma was supposed to pick with me, since Dad already got my brother's first name, and she was going to make me Gramps' namesake, but then Mr. Pennyworth, everybody's told me about him, he died a week before I was born, and she changed her mind at the last minute."

And just like that, Selina could _see _relief steal over the kid, his body going limp on the sofa. Almost immediately, though, he seized up again to stare at her in horror.

"I-I shouldn't have said all that!" Alf exclaimed. Quickly, Selina set down her mug on the coffee table and scooched down the length of the sofa, forcing several of her cats aside in the process. Wrapping an arm around the kid's shaking shoulders - God, he really was tiny - she started shushing him with soothing sounds.

"It's okay, kitten, it's alright, don't freak out on me, Alf. Trust me, those words came out a bit too fast for me to make much sense of them." She lied through her teeth with that last part. The red hair suddenly made a lot of sense to Selina, and she wondered how the family of speedsters had missed that particular detail.

Still, it was probably smart for the kid to want to avoid mentioning his parentage within hearing of Irey West and Damian Wayne, or anyone who might repeat it to them - those kids would start avoiding each other like their lives depended on it. Apparently, though, this little boy was collapsing in on himself because lives did depend on his not revealing information about the future timeline.

Selina felt her heart twinge in sympathy for the tiny Bird.

"Now, look here- look at me, Alf." Hesitantly the kid tilted his head up to meet her gaze, eyes swiftly filling with unshed tears. "I swear, anything you tell me, it won't leave this apartment. Okay?"

"Y-you, you p-prom-mise?"

"I promise."

"O-on the c-cats?"

Her lips twitched into a half-smile. "I promise on the fur and whiskers of every cat in here." Meows and faint purrs filled the air, and suddenly there were more than two furry forms draped on Alf. Selina laughed as nearly a dozen of her pets sought to twine themselves around the boy, all seeking attention from their mistress' guest. Sniffing, Alf tried his best to pet them all, the clawed tips of his gauntlets running through fur and scratching behind ears.

Blinking, the woman glanced at her own gloves, lying along with her whip on another chair. She mentally compared the leather garments to the metal protecting the boy's hands, and realized with a start that they were nearly the same design.

Maybe that would be the next thing she asked about.


	6. Chapter 5

"I'm not bringing him to you, Bruce." Selina said firmly into her communicator, a closed bedroom door firmly between her and Alf's ears. "The kid was running scared - no, not of you, of what you and the other birdies might figure out about the future timeline from him."

There was a noticeable pause before Selina sighed, silently thumping a hand against her forehead at the stubbornness of Bats. Although, she mused to herself, the way things had been lately, she could very well count herself as one of said Batfolk.

"Yes, I'm absolutely certain he is who he says he is. No, I'm not revealing that to you." She smirked at the familiar grumbles of a man who couldn't stand being deprived of information. "Look, Bruce, trust me on this - he knows about his being a time traveler, probably against his will, 'cause he nearly had a panic attack after telling me just about his _name._" Well, and quite a few more details beyond that, but Selina wasn't about to reveal knowing those.

Hearing Batman's next growled question, she had to resist the urge to chuckle. "Of course not. Even if he wanted to slip away again, the cats would tell me. We're at my apartment, if you must know, but I swear to God Bruce, if you show up here without advance warning I'm getting Alfred to swap all your meals with cat food for the next week." Satisfied that the threat would be sufficient, Selina went to shut off the communicator, though one last warning had her smiling as she did so. "I'm always careful, dear."

With that, she turned and opened the door - and froze at the sight of the empty living room. Alf, her cats, they were all gone, and right after she told Batman they weren't going anywhere, either!

Swearing vehemently, Selina grabbed her gloves and whip, hurrying towards the wide open window. She stepped out onto the wide sill and turned to propel herself towards the roof.

Alf stared down at her with the neutral expression as all the perplexed felines around him.

"Oh, for- Warn me next time!" Selina admonished him, her anxiety ebbing away along with the slowing of her racing heartbeat.

"Sorry," The kid said honestly, blinking. It was a struggle not to smile as Torem and Isis, perched on either of his slim shoulders, repeated the motion in sync.

Sighing, Selina jumped, grasping the edge of the roof and pulling herself up to sit beside the boy. "Why are you up here?"

He shrugged slightly, careful not to displace the cats. "Didn't want to eavesdrop. Figured coming up here would be best while you were talking."

Snorting in amusement, she rubbed a hand through his hair. "You, little mister, are most definitely a Bat." Alf grinned at her, before he returned to looking at the city with a pensive expression. "What are you thinking about, if I can ask?"

"You can. I might not answer, though." His nose twitched for a moment before he answered. "How you're different."

Selina raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh?"

"Well, you're mostly the same, but there's a few things that aren't." He hesitated. "You haven't given me the Gr- the old person glare yet."

"I'm sorry, the what?"

"That look old people give you when they know you're not being completely honest or are holding something back, the one that says there will be a reckoning if you don't fess up! My grandparents are really good at it."

"The Wests? I don't think those two have perfected glaring at their own kids."

"No, not Gran and Gramps. Grandfather and- and Grandma." Alf sent her another anxious glance, one that said he was worried about revealing a piece of the timeline. When she realized what he meant, Selina had to work very hard to keep breathing.

"Grandma? Who would that be?" He bit his lip. "Nevermind. That's gonna kill me with wondering now, but nevermind."

"...Sorry."

She sighed. "No, don't be, just... Tell me something else. About you, about your future, whatever you feel is safe, just get my mind off of that last statement, okay?"

"Okay." Alf had to think for a minute. "I'm Robin Number Nine. Lucky Nine, that's what Gra- erm, what some of my family call me."

"Lucky Nine, huh?" She couldn't help the slight curl of her lips. "Sounds cat-like, to me." The kid cringed again, but this time there was a sparkle of mischief in his eyes, and Selina decided not to worry. "Do I get to ask about who the others were?"

Alf pursed his lips, thinking, but it was totally for show this time. The woman could tell she was getting him to loosen up a bit.

"Maaaybe. Do I get to ask if there's cookies down in the kitchen?"

"Ah!" Selina couldn't help her exclamation of mock outrage. "How'd you know about my secret stash?"

He just shot her a cheeky grin, surprising the woman with his sudden turnaround in personality. "'Cause you're always the one to slip me some after dinner, when no one else gets any."

Well. Maybe that wasn't too much of a surprise. She'd already seemed to develop a soft spot for the kid as it was; he was fun, for a Bat. "Alright, one cookie for every previous Robin name you spill."

"Oh! In that case, the first one was Uncle Dick." That had Selina throw her head back and laugh. It wasn't often she was outsmarted by a pint-sized birdie. "Does that still count?"

"Sure it does, Alf. One cookie for you."

"Okay. Then there was Uncle Jason, and Uncle Tim, and Aunt Steph for a little while, and then-"

"Damian."

"... Yeah. A long time after him, was my Aunt Holly, and then Jas, and Jack, and me." He was a little more hesitant with the first name after Damian, and Selina wondered to herself where Bruce was going to find another kid to adopt.

She'd help keep an eye out for the child, at any rate.

"Knowing this family, though, there's bound to be more people around than that."

"Uh-huh. I've got a bunch of legal-cousins, and a few blood-cousins on my Mom's side, and lots and lots of honorary cousins, the kids of my aunts and uncles and parents' really good friends."

"Sounds like you get plenty of presents on your birthday."

He grinned at her for that. "Yep! Christmas, too! Momma likes to say, me and my brother have more relatives in the superhero community than anyone else on or off the planet Earth." His smile wavered. "But, I don't know if they'll be able to come and find me or not."

The two of them sat in silence for a few minutes, before a thought entered Selina's mind. "Alf... How _did _you end up in this time, anyway?"

She didn't like the way the kid shuddered. "Momma and R- my brother, Impulse, were fighting Zoom. Dad and I couldn't do much, but we were trying to help, and then, then I saw him knock Momma down, and he grabbed my brother, a-and he was gonna drag Richard through a rift, so I jumped after them, and I hurt Zoom enough he let go of my brother, but then-"

As his words were replaced with labored breathing, Selina finished for him. "You fell though, didn't you? You fell through the portal in that Speed-thingy the Flash folk use." Alf nodded miserably.

"I couldn't control it. Mom's tried to teach me for so long, but my big brother's the only one with speed, and I couldn't control where I ended up. There was a really bright bang, and then I woke up in Central City."

"Did your family see what happened?"

"I don't know." He whispered down to his clenched hands. "Maybe my brother, but there was blood on his forehead, and I didn't see where Momma and Dad ended up." Selina studied him in silence for a moment. Eventually, she reached out and ruffled his hair, eliciting a squirm out of the kid.

"Come on, you. I owe you eight cookies, and we need to cheer up a bit anyway." The woman dropped back down to her window sill, Alf and the cats following inside.

A rooftop away, a cowled figure put away the binoculars, and turned off the listening device that rested just outside Catwoman's window, deep in thought.


	7. Chapter 6

"When I get my hands on that slimy good for nothing time jumper he's gonna wish he'd never messed with my family, never started stealing Speed Force energy, never been _born-!"_

"Enough." The man said gently, catching the agitated speedster's wrist. "We'll find Zoom, we'll find Alf, and _then _we'll make that bastard regret ever touching our boys."

"We'd better." She growled. "Or I'm going to start tearing the entire timestream apart."

-LRR-

Selina yawned, stepping out of her bedroom and stretching. A grin snuck onto her face at the sight of Alf sprawled on the sofa, mimicking the same limpness of the various cats laying on and beside him. Looking away, Selina did her customary scan of the room, checking to make sure nothing had changed in the hours after dropping off to sleep.

Alf had finally dropped from exhaustion about sunrise, and it was now mid morning. Aside from the sunlight peeking in, everything appeared just as it had last night... Except for the backpack sitting underneath the window sill. That was definitely new.

Stalking across the room, Selina swept her eyes over the object, noting that all the zippers were open and there were no wires or explosives visible. Not until she spotted the Bat symbol hand stitched onto the top of the bag did the woman pick it up to peer inside.

Main pocket: boys clothes, practically the perfect size for Alf.

Secondary pocket: three cans of the gourmet brand cat food she occasionally splurged for.

And tucked into the pouch on the side was a note: _I listened. Don't be mad. Bernie's Diner. Lunch._ The handwriting was the scribble-print very distinctive of the recently-learned-to-read Cassandra Cain, Black Bat. Selina liked the girl, quiet as she was, but the fact she'd apparently heard some if not all of the conversations last night did not bode well.

Well, at least Cass would be paying for lunch.

Alf was awoken by a t-shirt thrown in his face. He flailed in startlement, ending up crouched on the floor with a birdarang raised and ready to be launched. Selina quirked an eyebrow at him, causing the kid to redden as he put away the projectile and picked up the article of clothing.

"Where'd you get these?" He asked, also noting the pants and green jacket in her hands.

"Apparently, one of the other Bats dropped them off for you this morning." Alf froze, his mind spinning over the possibilities inherent in that statement.

"Uh... Which won? And how- how much did they hear?" He gulped.

"Cassandra. And her note didn't say, but we're going to meet her for lunch, so get a move on." Taking a deep breath, Alf took all the offered clothing and retreated to the bathroom to change. Selina hummed to herself, taking the delivered cans into the kitchen, followed by her pets who recognized what was coming.

Not until all the cat food had been dished out and mostly consumed did Alf emerge again, his uniform neatly folded and clutched to his chest. The new clothes did hang a little loose on him, but they were better than anything Selina could have gotten in a hurry. She handed him the pair of sneakers that had been at the bottom of the backpack, and after changing herself, the two departed for their meeting.

Out in the daylight, Alf stuck noticeably close to Selina's side, hands in his pockets and eyes continually sweeping all along the streets and alley entrances. Gotham or not, the woman though he was being just a tad too paranoid. She reached out an elbow and nudged him, getting the kid to jerk his attention away from their surroundings and up at her.

"What?"

"Come on Alf, I know you've probably got serious surveillance training, but can you relax a bit? You're starting to make _me_ nervous, and that ain't easy to do."

"Sorry." His gaze dropped to the sidewalk below his feet. "I'm not used to being out in the open like this without my at least some of family around in case of an emergency. Kidnapping attempts, villain attacks, things like that."

Selina felt like smacking herself. Clearly, the Wayne family was just as wealthy and important in the future as the present day, meaning that of course the kids would still be targets for creeps looking to make a ransom score.

"That happen often to you?"

"Bunch of times people have tried, but we fought them off. I've only been taken twice, and Dad came and got me really quick both times." Alf rubbed both of his arms, though despite the shudders he couldn't suppress their was a small smile on his face. "He beat the snot out of 'em."

"I bet he did." Selina chuckled. "Physical violence towards those that harm their children seems to be hereditary in you Waynes."

"Us Waynes," Corrected Alf, his eyes once more wandering the streets and missing Selina's momentary pause of surprise. She forced the sudden flutter of her heart to slow down, reminding herself that she wasn't supposed to ask the kid about his slips of the tongue, desperate as she was for clarification of the obscure statement. The two remained silent as they moved across the half a dozen blocks to Bernie's Diner.

It was a pretty small establishment, but well-kept and with decent food for this part of Gotham. Selina was fairly certain the owner's name was Margaret rather than Bernie, but that was beside the point. The thickset older woman behind the counter arched an eyebrow as she entered, but the look immediately softened when Alf slipped in as well, especially as he glanced around nervously and remained glued the Selina's side.

"Help yerself t' a table, hon." The woman smiled at them. Selina nodded her thanks, guiding the kid over to a corner where he'd be able to sit and easily observe the entire room. Alf shot her a grateful glance, then returned to his scanning as a man with a couple of menus walked over.

While both Selina and Alf looked over their options, the door opened again, and the kid's eyes widened as Cass walked in.

The slim young woman's gaze immediately jumped to the two of them, but she first went to counter and sat on one of the swivel stools. "Hello, Margaret."

"Mornin' sweetheart. Usual for ya?"

"Yes, please." A few minutes later, a plate of thick waffles covered in syrup, powdered sugar and juicy strawberry slices. At the sight of it, Alf's jaw dropped and he stared in longing.

"Bet I know what you want to get." Selina murmured in amusement. The kid tried to answer her, but words failed him as Cass picked up the plate, slipped off her stool and walked over to them, sliding it in front of him.

"Uh-" Alf looked back and forth between the massive amount of food and the ever so slightly smiling young woman.

"I decided you needed cheering up." She whispered to him. "Enjoy."

Permission granted, Alf grabbed the silverware beside him, ripped the napkin off and dug in. Within minutes, his face and the surrounding tabletop was liberally smeared or speckled with the flying syrup and cream while Cass and Selina attempted to avoid the barrage.

"So, somehow you overheard some things last night." The older woman stated when there was a pause in the mauling of waffles.

"On the roof." Cass clarified. "Bruce knows I listened, but I did not tell him the details."

"Good, or else I'd have to smack the both of you." Alf nearly choked on his mouthful of food at that statement, but Selina ignored him. "Now, did you come up with any ideas on how to help Alf get home?"

"We ask other time travellers." Cass spoke as though that was obvious. "If it was a speedster's fault, then a speedster can fix it."

Alf swallowed his last bite and frowned at them. "That's... Not quite right."

_A/N: Geez, is it just me, or are these chapters getting longer? I might even get the next one out as quickly as a few days from now - three day weekends spent at my dad's place are good for writing, as opposed to the ones working on my mom's farm at least._

_Anywho, things will be picking up soon, and we'll be getting a few jumps in time to see how Alf's family is handling his disappearance, along with his reluctant working with modern-day people to try and get back home._

_There will, needless to say, be more plot twists on the horizon. Muahaha..._


	8. Chapter 7

_Alf swallowed his last bite and frowned at them. "That's... Not quite right."_

Both Cass and Selina stared at him uncomprehendingly for a minute, before the elder of the two women asked what he meant.

"Well... Professor Zoom uses energy from the Negative Speed Force, while everyone in my mom's family draws from the Positive. The two don't mix well, which is why Mom couldn't just follow him straight to this time and have picked me up right away. And, the speedsters of this time wouldn't be able to run directly to my home, not without knowing where they were going."

Selina resisted the urge to bang her head against the table. This was officially _not_ welcome news, even if it did explain why Alf worked to get away from the Flash family so quickly.

Cass, though, was pursing her lips thoughtfully. "But... If your family does find a way to come get you, where would they appear?"

"Probably at the same place I showed up, wherever that was." Alf said, reaching to grab a handful of napkins. Within a few seconds, he'd wiped away the mess on the tabletop around him, although to took a subtle gesture from Selina for him to set to cleaning his own face.

Sitting quietly while the other woman ordered her own meal to go, Cass waited until the wrapped sandwich arrived to set a folded twenty dollar bill on the tabletop and stand. Alf hurriedly followed as they left, Selina willing to stay a couple steps behind.

"Um... Where are we going?" The kid asked once they were outside.

"The Manor." Cass told him. "I know you will be nervous, but it is only until I tell Bruce the plan."

"What plan?" Selina frowned.

"We call the speedsters, ask where they found Alf, and watch that place for activity. Also, ask other time travellers for opinions, even if they cannot help." Alf found himself nodding slowly, half thinking about the plan, and half about how Aunt Cass really hadn't changed much at all over the next couple decades.

-LRR-

When Alfred Pennyworth opened the front door of Wayne Manor, he wasn't surprised to find Mistress Cassandra with the two guests she had mentioned bringing. Alone in the mansion, Alfred had received the woman's full explanation of all she'd heard from Catwoman's apartment, and had sworn to keep the details to himself.

"Good day, Miss Kyle, young sir." He bowed slightly, causing the lad to blink and lean back into Selina's legs.

"Hello, Alfred. This is, ah..."

"Little Alf." Cass spoke up in the older woman's trailing off. "And I've already told Alfred a bit - he's going to help."

"Oh, good." Selina relaxed a tad, though the boy in front of her seemed torn between being nervous and curious. He went with the latter upon seeing Alfred wink at him.

The three slipped inside, and the butler closed the door as he briefly outlined where the rest of the family members were. "Master Bruce is currently brooding within the Cave. Masters Richard and Timothy are meeting at Wayne Enterprises with Miss Fox, while Mistress Stephanie I believe is spending this afternoon with her mother. Master Jason is asleep upstairs, and Master Damian is spending the day with his fellow team members."

"Thanks, Alfie." Selina said in evident relief. "Cass and I need to go talk to Bruce, but can short stuff stay up here with you?"

"Indeed. Perhaps he'd be willing to assist me in the kitchen with the desserts for this afternoon's tea." Initially alarmed at the prospect of losing his benefactor, the lad's interest was nonetheless piqued at the mention of dessert.

Let it never be said a Pennyworth didn't know how to distract an anxious child.

Within minutes, Little Alf was gazing about the large kitchen, no longer concerned with his two familiar faces disappearing around the corner. To Alfred's surprise, the lad hurried over to the sink to wash his hands before anything else. Normally, members of the Wayne family entering this room snatched food first and worried about their hands' cleanliness afterward, if at all.

The two settled into a comfortable silence once Alfred explained all that they would be making: scones with jam, a selection of small cupcakes, and honeyed bread. Little Alf's eyes lit up at the mention of this last one, and he eagerly went straight to the cupboards with the correct ingredients for making the sweet. Alfred chuckled at him, which caused the lad to grin. Half an hour later, there was still no sign of the ladies, but the pastries had all been assembled and were ready for baking. Again Little Alf surprised the butler, as he set to clearing away the mess before reaching for the jams and icing that they would be using next.

They were in the process of stacking dirtied implements in the sink when a large, intimidating figure appeared in the doorway.

-LRR-

_Years away..._

If there was one thing the villains of Gotham understood, it was that if one of the Bats was down and hurt, the others could be expected to take out their anger and frustrations on the criminal element. Folks could generally tell how serious it was by how reckless the heroes grew, and some of the more insane villains took great delight in pushing buttons until the Bat they were fighting lost it.

On this occasion, though, it wasn't enraged Bats who tore through Gotham's crooks: it was a rotating list of heroes from other cities. And that was a very bad sign.

There had only been one other time like this in recent memory, when it was suggested by some keen observer that there must have been a death in the Bat-family. During that horrible week, practically the entire Justice League had come to town, and many people joked that it was taking almost twenty powerhouse players to do the job of half a dozen Bats, who were at least still putting in token appearances.

But now, a couple years down the road, every day there was a different group of heroes patrolling Gotham, and not a single true Bat in sight.

Almost two weeks this had been going on, and the city's criminals were really hoping that whatever was going on would be fixed soon. Grim and terrifying Birds and Bats they could stand being taken down by - even the tiny pipsqueak that was the new Robin. It only added to your reputation to have gone a round or two with any of the master fighters.

There wasn't any rep to be gained, though, when you went down under a boxing glove arrow, or a green hardlight construct, or a magic spell. Just embarrassment.

_A/N: "... I might even be able to get the next update out in a few days..." Folks, I am so sorry. A month ago I last updated, and a month ago I thought things were going well in my life... Anyhow, events on this front are winding down now, and I'll try to post to this story and my others with a bit of regularity again. No promises, though. One never knows when a European History teacher might assign another take-home test, for example._

_-A very tired Triscribe_


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